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Willamette Week was founded in 1974 by Ronald A. Buel, who served as its first publisher.[3] It was later owned by the Eugene Register-Guard, which sold it in the fall of 1983 to Richard H. Meeker and Mark Zusman,[4] who took the positions of publisher and editor, respectively. Meeker had been one of the paper's first reporters, starting in 1974, and Zusman had joined the paper as a business writer in 1982.[3] Meeker and Zusman formed City of Roses Newspaper Company to publish WW and a sister publication, Fresh Weekly, a free guide to local arts and entertainment. WW had a paid circulation at that time, with about 12,000 subscribers.[4] A major change was made in January 1984, when Fresh Weekly was merged into WW, the paper's print run was increased to 50,000 and paid circulation was discontinued, with WW thereafter being distributed free.[4]

In June 2015, Richard Meeker stepped down as Willamette Week's publisher, after more than 31 years in the position.[5][6] Editor Mark Zusman succeeded him as publisher, while also retaining the editorship.[6][7] Meeker planned to continue working for the City of Roses Newspaper Company, WW's owner.[5][7]

Since 1984, the paper has been free; it generates over 80% of its revenue through display advertising.[8] For 2007, its revenue is expected to be about $6.25 million, a four or five percent increase over 2006, a growth that occurred in spite of a significant decline in classified advertising that the publisher attributes to competition from Craigslist.[8] Its pre-tax profit is around 5%, a third to a half of what large mass-media companies require.[8]

In 2009, reporting that then-City Commissioner Sam Adams engaged in a sexual relationship with a legislative intern, Beau Breedlove. Rumors of a relationship between the two men had circulated during Adams' campaign for mayor, but Adams denied any sexual relationship. Only after Willamette Week contacted Adams for comment on an upcoming story did he admit publicly that there had been a sexual relationship. However, he stipulated that there had been no relationship between them until after Breedlove turned 18. Adams said he'd previously lied about the relationship in order to avoid feeding negative stereotypes of gay men as somehow predatory.[9]

In 2008, the paper revealed[10] that Gordon Smith, the junior United States Senator and one of the wealthiest men serving in Congress, employed undocumented workers at his frozen-foods processing operation in Eastern Oregon. Smith, a Republican, had been a fierce opponent of illegal immigration and had voted against an amnesty bill. Two months later, Smith lost a re-election bid, credited in part to Willamette Week's story.

In 2014 and 2015, WW published a series of stories about then Governor John Kitzhaber and his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, and allegations of pay for play.[13] The governor resigned from office in February 2015 because of the news reports.[14]